The Thermal Degradation Mechanism and Thermal Mechanical Properties of Two High Performance Heterocyclic Polymer Fibers

The thermal mechanical properties and degradation behaviors were studied on fibers prepared from two high-performance, heterocyclic polymers, poly(p-phenylenebenzobisthiazole) (PBZT) and poly(p-phenylenebenzobisoxazole) (PBZO). Our research demonstrated that these two fibers exhibited excellent mechanical properties and outstanding thermal and thermo-oxidative stability. Their long-term mechanical tensile performance at high temperatures was found to be critically associated with the stability of the C—O or C—S linkage at the heterocyclic rings on these polymers' backbones. PBZO fibers with the C—O linkages displayed substantially higher thermal stability compared to PBZT containing C—S linkages. High resolution pyrolysis-gas chromatography/mass spectrometry provided the information of the pyrolyzates' compositions and distributions as well as their relationships with the structures of PBZT and PBZO. Based on the analysis of the compositions and distributions of all pyrolyzates at different temperatures, it was found that the thermal degradation mechanisms for both of these heterocyclic polymers were identical. Kevlar®-49 fibers were also studied under the same experimental conditions in order to make a comparison of thermo-oxidative stability and long-term mechanical performance at high temperatures with PBZO and PBZT fibers. The data of two high-performance aromatic polyimide fibers were also included as references.This revised version was published online in November 2005 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Thermal degradation of high density polyethylene in a reactive extruder

The thermal degradation of high density polyethylene was conducted in a reactive extruder at various screw speeds with reaction temperatures of 400 °C and 425 °C. The residence time of the extruder was estimated and the molecular weight distribution of the fed plastic and reaction products was analysed using gel permeation chromatography. A continuous kinetic model was used to describe the degradation of the high density polyethylene in the reactive extruder. The breakage kernel and the scission rate model parameters were estimated from the experimental data for a variety of cases. It was found that purely random breakage and a scission rate which had a power law dependence on molecular size of 0.474 best described the experimental data.     

酚醛树脂中亚甲基对热降解的影响

将固化后的酚醛树脂在不同温度下进行热处理,对固化后的样品进行热重分析,对热处理后的试样进行傅立叶红外光谱分析.实验结果表明,酚醛树脂的热降解与亚甲基的取代位有关.酚醛树脂中的亚甲基分两个阶段进行热解降,350~450℃的温度区间主要是部分邻-邻(o-o′)位亚甲基和邻-对(o-p)位亚甲基的分解,400~620℃温度区间为对-对(p-p′)位亚甲基的分解,p-p′位亚甲基比o-o′位亚甲基的起始热分解温度高50℃左右.     

Simulation of a Combined Isomerization Reactor & Pressure Swing Adsorption Unit

The Total Isomerization Process developed by Union Carbide in 1970 (Gary, 1987) for the conversion of normal paraffin's to their isomers consists of a reactor followed by a PSA unit each operating at similar pressures and temperatures. The combination of these two operations in one unit in a Pressure Swing Adsorption Reactor (PSAR) process may provide an increased throughput and a significant cost saving in ancillary equipment.The simulation of a mathematical model linking the catalyst packed-bed and the adsorbent packed-bed is reported. The catalyst is a Pd/Y-zeolite and the adsorbent is 5A zeolite. The simulated feed consists of 17% each of n- and isopentane with the remainder being hydrogen. The mathematical model assumes dispersed plug-flow in both sections, constant velocity in the reactor section but varying in the adsorber, with mass transfer in the adsorber section due to external fluid film resistance and macropore diffusion in series. The fraction of the total column length occupied by the catalyst (denoted by ) is accounted for in the model by solving numerically using orthogonal collocation on finite elements. Parameters varied are the ratio of catalyst/column length (), temperature range (506–533 K), high pressure (15–20 bars), with the low pressure held constant at 2 bars. The catalyst/column ratio has a strong effect at low temperatures. The optimum catalyst/column length ratio appears to be controlled by the low pressure step and occurs at = 0.7 for the assumptions used in this work.     

Evolution of products during the degradation of polyethylene in a batch reactor

The thermal degradation of two polyethylene samples (LDPE and HDPE) has been carried out in a batch reactor under dynamic conditions. The evolution of products generated after regular intervals of 5 min (temperature increments of approximately 25 °C) has been analyzed. The behaviour of LDPE and HDPE has been compared, and no differences in the quantity and weight fraction of the gaseous products obtained have been found. For both polymers, n-paraffins are the major products at the very beginning of the process, while as the decomposition proceeds 1-olefins are more abundant. The condensed fraction is much larger than the gaseous fraction and its analysis reveals some differences between the behaviour of LDPE and HDPE at the beginning of the degradation process. These differences disappear at higher temperatures where more similar trends are observed. 1-Olefins, n-paraffins, dienes and olefins with wide carbon number distributions are the most important condensed compounds obtained in the thermal degradation of both polyethylenes. The formation of 1-olefins and n-paraffins begins at slightly lower temperatures than for dienes and olefins. On the other hand, as the temperature increases, the amount of low and high molecular weight compounds increases at the expense of intermediate molecular weight products and the former become the most important by the end of the degradation process. This behaviour could be related to the thermal cracking of waxes through secondary reactions.     

Studies of the Methane Steam Reforming Reaction at High Pressure in a Ceramic Membrane Reactor

The effects of temperature and pressure on the steam reforming of methane 3H2+CO) were investigated in a membrane reactor (MR) with a hydrogen permeable membrane. The studies used a novel silica-based membrane prepared by using the chemical vapor deposition (CVD) technique with a permeance for H2 of 6.0×l0-8 mol·m-2·s-1·Pa-1 at 923 K. The results in a packed-bed reactor (PBR) were compared to those of the membrane reactor at various temperatures (773-923 K) and pressures (1-20 atm, 101.3-2026.5 kPa) using a commercial Ni/MgAl2O4 catalyst. The conversion of methane was improved significantly in the MR by the countercurrent removal of hydrogen at all temperatures and allowed product yields higher than the equilibrium to be obtained. Pressure had a positive effect on the hydrogen yield because of the increase in driving force for the permeance of hydrogen. The yield of hydrogen increased with pressure and reached a value of 73×10-6 mol·g-1·s-1 at 2026.5 kPa and 923 K which was higher by 108% than the value of 35×10-6 mol·g-1·s-1 obtained for the equilibrium yield. The results obtained with the silica-based membrane were similar to those obtained with various other membranes as reported in the literature.     

Application of Spray-Type Atmospheric Pressure Glow Plasma Reactor: Ashing of Organic Compounds II

When plasma treatment is carried out in the after glow region of an electrical discharge, the decay rate and the density of the active species are very important factors for the treatment efficiency. They are known to depend on the linear gas flow rate (gas velocity) and on the residence time of the treatment gas in the discharge zone, respectively. In our previous study, we found that the spray-type atmospheric pressure glow plasma reactor with O₂/He or O₂/Ar mixture treatment gases had a satisfactory ashing rate of a solid organic compound (OFPR-800; a photoresist). However, the relationships between the gas velocity or the residence time and the ashing rate had not yet been examined. The present study showed clearly that the gas velocity influenced only the transit time, that is the time which the gas mixture took to progress from the slit nozzle to the sample surface, but it did not influence the generation of the active species. On the other hand, the generation rate of active species in the discharge zone was found to be strongly dependent on the residence time. The ashing rate was found to increase with increasing the residence time up to about 30 ms, beyond which it saturated. From optical emission spectroscopy measurements, the maximum ashing rate could be correlated with the emission intensities corresponding to He 3p³P-2s³S (388.8 nm) and O 3d⁵D-3p⁵P (926.5 nm) bands. These results are of practical interest.     

Extraction of Co-Products from Biomass: Example of Thermal Degradation of Silymarin Compounds in Subcritical Water

In an effort to increase revenues from a given feedstock, valuable co-products could be extracted prior to biochemical or thermochemical conversion with subcritical water. Although subcritical water shows significant promise in replacing organic solvents as an extraction solvent, compound degradation has been observed at elevated extraction temperatures. First order thermal degradation kinetics from a model system, silymarin extracted from Silybum marianum, in water at pH 5.1 and 100, 120, 140, and 160 °C were investigated. Water pressure was maintained slightly above its vapor pressure. Silymarin is a mixture of taxifolin, silichristin, silidianin, silibinin, and isosilibinin. The degradation rate constants ranged from 0.0104 min⁻¹ at 100 °C for silichristin to a maximum of 0.0840 min⁻¹ at 160 °C for silybin B. Half-lives, calculated from the rate constants, ranged from a low of 6.2 min at 160 °C to a high of 58.3 min at 100 °C, both for silichristin. The respective activation energies for the compounds ranged from 37.2 kJ/gmole for silidianin to 45.2 kJ/gmole for silichristin. In extracting the silymarin with pure ethanol at 140 °C, no degradation was observed. However, when extracting with ethanol/water mixtures at and 140 °C, degradation increased exponentially as the concentration of water increased. An erratum to this article can be found at     

Changes in the Mechanical Properties and Thermal Behaviour of LDPE in Response to Accelerated Thermal Aging

The accelerated thermal degradation of low-density polyethylene (LDPE) was studied in air at atmospheric pressure and temperatures of 70, 80, 90 and 100°C. The changes in elongation at break, traction resistance and density as a result of accelerated thermooxidative degradation were followed. Thermal analysis curves (TG, DTG and DTA) of non-aged and thermally aged LDPE were recorded, and the thermal analysis results were compared with those relating to the variations in the elongation at break, the traction resistance and the density as a consequence of accelerated thermal aging. This revised version was published online in July 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Thermal,physico‐mechanical,and morphological properties of HDPE graft‐copolymerized with polystyrene

In this study, polystyrene was graft‐copolymerized onto high‐density polyethylene (HDPE) by in situ polymerization of styrene monomer to change the physico‐mechanical and thermal properties of HDPE. The grafting was carried out in a Brabender‐type static mixer by injecting styrene monomer directly into the molten HDPE in the presence of a free‐radical initiator (lauroyl peroxide or LP). The effect of wt% of styrene and initiator concentrations on thermal, physico‐mechanical, and morphological properties of HDPE was investigated. The neat and modified HDPE was characterized by differential scanning calorimetry, thermogravimetric analysis, scanning electron microscopy, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy, and also by tensile strength and contact angle measurements. It was found that the increase in wt% of styrene and LP dosage reduced elongation at break, hygroscopic expansion and also the melting, and the crystallization temperatures of HDPE but increased its tensile strength. The tensile strength was increased from 14.6 MPa for the neat HDPE to 20.6 MPA for the 10 wt% of styrene grafted onto HDPE using 0.8% LP. Scanning electron microscopy results show that there was no phase separation, and the grafted polystyrene became integral part of HDPE. The results demonstrate that styrene could be used in melt compounding to improve various properties of HDPE. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Thermal Degradation of Tetrafunctional/Phenol Novalac Epoxy Mixture Cured with a Diamine

The effect of thermal degradation on the mechanical behaviour of a system containing both tetraglycidyl-4-4′-diaminodiphenylmethane (TGDDM) and a multifunctional novolac glycidyl ether (EPN) resins, cured with 4,4′-diaminodiphenylsulphone (DDS) has been studied using dynamic mechanical analysis (DMA) and tensile tests. Different curing paths using the isothermal time-temperature-transformation (TTT) diagram for this system were designed, obtaining thermosetting materials with different conversions. The influences of the degree of cure and of the aging temperature were also studied. The results showed different trends in the dynamic mechanical properties and an increase in the stiffness of the material with increasing aging time. Changes were faster and more intense with the higher temperature. This revised version was published online in August 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Thermal Oxidative Degradation and Ageing Performance of Silicone Rubber Filled with Attapulgite

The natural attapulgite (NAPT) was disaggregated by high-pressure homogenization technology combined with extrusion process to prepare the attapulgite with disaggregated rod crystal bundles (DAPT) and large specific surface area of 133.7 m²/g. NAPT and DAPT were incorporated into the silicone rubber to obtain the composite NAPT-SR and DAPT-SR by mechanical blending method, respectively. After thermal oxidative ageing at 300 ℃ for 0.5 h, temperature for the 5% weight loss increased greatly from 385 ℃ of the neat silicone rubber to 396℃ - 399 ℃ with addition of NAPT and DAPT. NAPT and DAPT enhanced the interaction between the filler nanoparticles and rubber matrix thus inhibited the nanoparticle agglomeration. The conservation rate of the side methyl group in NAPT-SR and DAPT-SR was greatly improved after ageing. Therefore, the thermal oxidative degradation and ageing performance of the silicone rubber composites was significantly reinforced. Moreover, DAPT could greatly restrain the growth of nanoparticles after ageing. Therefore, DAPT-SR showed the better retention of tensile strength (40.6%), elongation at break (34.9%) and tear strength (30.1%) compared with the corresponding mechanical properties of the neat silicone rubber (10.6%, 7.4%, and 5.0%) after ageing.     

Effect from Mechanical Stirring Time and Speed on Adsorption Performance of ZIF‐90 for n‐Hexane

Zeolite imidazolate frameworks (ZIFs) represent a class of metal‐organic frameworks (MOFs) for various potential applications due to their outstanding properties. However, to date, the creation of nanoframes with tunable structure faces a challenge. Herein, we develop a facile and efficient physical method that allows the preparation of ZIF‐90 with controllable surface area. In this study, the effect of various stirring time and speed in the acceleration of the precursor dissolution are revealed. The study shows that a moderate stirring speed (640 r · min^–1) and reaction time (6 h) are the optimal conditions to synthesize ZIF‐90 with a high adsorption capacity. More importantly, the maximum adsorption amount of n‐hexane is up to 211 mg · g^–1 by using this as‐prepared sample, which increases by 60 % in comparison with that of the minimum from other sample (133 mg · g^–1).     

Degradation of a polyester‐urethane coating: Physical properties

In this article we studied the evolution of thermomechanical properties of a polyester‐urethane coating during degradation under different degradation conditions, i.e., aerobic and anaerobic conditions with and without dry/wet cycling during degradation. Dynamic mechanical and thermal analyses show that under aerobic conditions the coatings become stiffer and more brittle in the glassy state. This stiffening is probably due to the increase in the amount of hydrogen bonding and the formation of oxidized groups which increase the polarity of the material and enhance the interactions of the polymer segments. However, oxidation reactions result in a considerable decrease in cross‐link density and stiffness in the rubbery state. Both changes, in the glassy and rubbery states, give rise to development of internal stresses. These stresses increase as the degradation process proceeds. Nevertheless, for samples exposed to anaerobic conditions, the stiffness remains constant in the glassy state and the cross‐link density slightly increases as a result of degradation. This reconfirms the dominance of the effect of oxidation reactions on the mechanical failure of the coatings. Oxygen permeation measurements show a more‐or‐less time‐independent diffusion coefficient and a gradual decrease in solubility of oxygen as a function of exposure time. This results in a slight decrease in oxygen permeation (mainly in the early stage of the degradation) as degradation proceeds. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Polym. Sci., Part B: Polym. Phys. 2016 , 54, 659–671     

Thermal Degradation Studies of Complexes of a Derivative of Phenhomazine (Dibenzo[b,f][1:5]diazocine‐6:12‐Dione (PHZD)) by Thermoanalytical Techniques

Some of the bis‐complexes of a derivative of phenhomazine (dibenzo[b,f][1:5]diazocine‐6:12‐dione; PHZD) with Ni(II), Cu(II), Co(II), Cd(II), Zn(II) and Hg(II) of the general formula M(PHZD)₂X₂ [where X = C1, Br and I], were prepared and identified. These complexes have been characterised on the basis of elemental analysis, and spectroscopic, magnetic and conductance data. The thermal mode of decomposition and thermal stability of these complexes was investigated on the basis of the respective thermal curves in a static air atmosphere. The thermoanalytical investigations indicate that these complexes undergo two‐step changes as temperature is raised, except for Cd(II) and Hg(II) complexes, with the formation of metal oxides as end product. The degradation mechanism of the complexes has also been proposed.     

CSTR和批式反应器中酶法拆分萘普生的比较

比较了批式反应器和连续流动搅拌反应器中酶动力学拆分萘普生的不同之处。从宏观反应器平衡角度,推导出了在ＣＳＴＲ中不同于在批式反应器中的酶立体选择性,产物对映体过量值和反应转化率的定量关系式,并通过脂肪酶催化的萘一甲酯的不对称水解反应得到了证实。     

微孔聚乳酸支架材料的热稳定性与动态热机械特性

采用无溶剂二氧化碳固态发泡技术,在2.5、3.5、4.0和5.0 MPa饱和压力下制备了泡孔孔径为350-20μm的聚乳酸支架材料.利用热重分析技术、动态热机械分析技术和扫描电子显微镜技术,测定了材料的起始分解温度、分解速率、储存/损耗模量和损耗因子等参数,并利用Kissinger、Ozawa-Doyle和Vyazovkin方程进行了热分解动力学计算,推算了氮气环境下材料的降解时间和使用寿命.结果表明,随着发泡压力的减小,支架材料的泡孔孔径增大,材料的柔韧性增强,表观活化能降低,降解时间缩短.     

Synthesis,Thermal Degradation and Dielectric Properties of Poly[octyl(triphenylethynyl)]silane Resin

Octyl(triphenylethynyl)silane monomer(OTPES) was synthesized with ethyl bromide, octyltrichlorosilane and phenylethylene by Grignard reaction. The molecular structure was confirmed by FTIR and NMR. The poly[octyl(triphenylethynyl)]silane resin(POTPES) was prepared by thermal polymerization and the corresponding thermal degradation behavior wasstudied by thermogravimetric analysis(TG) combining with model and model-free fitted methods. The dielectric property of resin was also studied by vector network analyzer. The results show that the melt point of OTPES was 50℃ and the processing window was over 236℃. The resin degradation temperature of T_d5 occurred over 433℃ and the char yield was over 60% at 800℃. Based on Kissinger, Flynn-Wall-Ozawa, Coats-Redfern, Achar, Vyazovkin-Wight and Tang methods, the reaction activity(E) was 155.51, 152.97, 150.82, 146.02, 148.38 and 148.77 kJ/mol, respectively. Dielectric properties analysis displayed that the real part(ε') and the imaginary part(ε″) of the relative complex permittivity of POTPES was 2.5 and 0.05, respectively, and the dielectric loss tangent was between 0.03 and 0.25. The reflection loss of resin was more than -2.85 dB in all range of 1-5 mm thicknesses and 2-18 GHz frequency, which indicated that POTPES resin was a real wave-transparent resin matrix.     

Comparison of Vinyl Acetate - Butyl Acrylate Emulsion Copolymerizations Conducted in a Continuous Pulsed Sieve Plate Column Reactor and in a Batch Stirred Tank Reactor

In this work, vinyl acetate/butyl acrylate emulsion copolymerizations carried out in a continuous tubular reactor (pulsed sieve plate column, PSPC) were compared to those conducted in a semibatch stirred tank reactor under similar operational conditions. In order to minimize the compositional drift along the PSPC, reactions were carried out with different numbers (2, 3 and 4) of lateral feed streams of the more reactive monomer (butyl acrylate). For comparison, fed batch reactions were conducted with the same number of intermittent shot additions of butyl acrylate, at the corresponding batch times. Both systems (tubular and semibatch) with distributed feeding of more reactive monomer are able to reduce composition drift thus providing more uniformity in copolymer composition. In addition, the tubular reactor presents much better control of temperature than the tank reactor, which is important to achieve higher productivity.     

Degradation mechanism of diethylene glycol units in a terephthalate polymer

Diethylene glycol (DEG) is incorporated into poly(ethylene terephthalate) (PET) during industrial synthesis in order to control crystallisation kinetics. DEG is known to be a weak point in the thermal degradation of PET, which is problematic during the recycling of the polymer.Studies on the thermal decomposition of the model polymer poly(diethylene glycol terephthalate) (PDEGT) have been performed using TG, DSC, TVA and spectroscopic techniques. They revealed a degradation behaviour with two distinct steps, where the first step initiates some 100 K below the degradation temperature of PET. The second step is similar to the behaviour of PET.Based on our observations, a new degradation mechanism specific to DEG units is proposed, where random ether groups along the backbone can back-bite and form cyclic oligomers. These cyclic species, containing ether moieties, are evolved at 245 °C and constitute the first of the two steps of degradation observed for PDEGT.